1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to automatic portion control systems, including apparatus and methods. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus and methods for providing automatic portion control using strain gauge technology.
2. Background Information
Automatic portion control problems include: (1) determining the volume of a substance that should be automatically dispensed into a container that already contains an undetermined volume of another substance, and (2) providing automatic portion control using dispensing equipment that has a varying flow rate.
The state of the art includes various apparatus and methods for providing automatic portion control. Where, for example, beverages are automatically dispensed into containers or cups that have a varying amount of pre-dispensed ice, ice cream, cream, or other substance, or are dispensed at an inconsistent rate due to varying line pressures, the beverages are dispensed using timed portion control or overflow conductivity methods.
Ultrasonic technology has been used to automatically control portion, wherein the level of a substance is determined by transmitting a signal downward into a receptacle and then receiving the reflected signal off of the surface of the substance.
External conductive probes also have been used to automatically control portion. The probes are positioned to detect when a container has filled or over-filled. The dispenser is deactivated when the overfill from the container forms a conductive path.
Time-based portion control technology dispenses a substance into a container for a pre-programmed sequence of one or more fill times for a given container size. A sequence may be programmed, for example, by recording the time on, time off, time on, etc. during a manual fill cycle.
These known apparatus and methods are believed to have significant limitations and shortcomings. Specifically, they may be inaccurate, waste product, cause a mess, and/or pose a contamination hazard.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for providing automatic portion control which is believed to constitute an improvement over the known art. The present invention allows for more accurate automatic portion control regardless of the amount of substance that has already been placed into the container, provides accurate automatic portion control at varying flow rates, and provides accurate fill capacity without requiring an overflow to deactivate dispensing. Other advantages include the elimination of a path for product contamination, the minimization of product scrap, and the minimization of fill inaccuracies and messes that cause customer complaints.